Site of fatal Wake wreck to get four-way stop

Wake Forest, N.C. — An intersection in eastern Wake County where a fatal wreck occurred last September will become a four-way stop, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Work at the intersection of Mitchell Mill, Jonesville and Peebles roads will take place the week of Feb. 14, DOT spokesman Steve Abbot said.

Stop signs and pavement markings will be added to Mitchell Mill Road. Motorists already have to stop on Jonesville and Peebles roads.

Donald Johnson, 57, of Zebulon, was driving home from work along Mitchell Mill Road Sept. 23, 2010, when a Ford Taurus pulled in front of him, crossing from Jonesville Road to Peebles Road. Johnson died at the scene.

State troopers said the Ford driver Tyler Daniel halted at a stop sign but thought he could make it across the road ahead of Johnson's SUV. The 17-year-old Knightdale High School student was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way.

Abbot said that an investigation after the wreck yielded enough evidence, including crash history and traffic volume, to justify making the intersection a four-way stop.

Raleigh officials said immediately after the wreck that they are considering widening a section of Mitchell Mill Road just west of the intersection because of traffic and safety concerns.